PNGNA defends terminated nurses

The PNG Nurses Association is calling on the Chief Executive Officer of the Port Moresby General Hospital to reconsider the termination of 39 nursing officers who have been on Short Term contract for the last three years.

President Frederick Kebai said POM Gen has breached the General Orders by employing them for three years instead of the initial six months they were supposed to have been engaged.

He said the Union body will not hesitate to seek legal action if the plight of these nurses is not attended to immediately

According to Kebai, the Port Moresby General Hospital engaged more than 100 nurses in early 2024 on a short-term contract basis to boost manpower at the hospital for a period of six months.

Following the expiry of the six-month period, the contracts of the nurses were not renewed but they were instead allowed to continue working.

It has been three years now and 39 of the officers were given notices of termination last Friday.

President Kebai said Pom Gen has to immediately relook this contract termination and find alternative solutions for these nurses.

"The CEO has actually written to them to cease their contract with Port Moresby General Hospital," Kebai said. "According to their contract it is only a six-month contract, however, they have stayed behind at six months and it has gone up to most stated that they have three years attached to Port Moresby General Hospital as a short-term contract officer, which is in breach of the contract they have signed."

Kibai said this is a breach of the general orders by way of not renewing the contracts after the initial six months and is bound to be illegal.

He said the union will seek legal clarification on the matter if the Port Moresby General Hospital does not address the matter amicably.

"They have overstayed their six-month contract which means according to the general order they should be absorbed into the system" Kebai said.

He said the responsible parties must ensure these officers are absorbed into the system immediately.

"Failure for them as a union advocating for the country, we will not hesitate to get the legal counsel to represent them before the court of law," Kebai said.